Omaha daily bee., 1887-04-25
LABOUR REPENlANT RETURN.
Des Moines' Ascending Police Judge Comes
Back Like the Prodigal.
HE WANTS TO BE FORGIVEN,
Lively HostiIitics to the Railroads De.
vcloping Throughout Iowa on Ac.
count OF the New Rates
Other State News.
After His Old Job.

DEs MONIES, Ia, April 24-tSpccial to
the BEE. This city has genuine case OF 4
''prodigal SON. on its hands, and II hardiyt l
knows what to do with it. Mention was
made in the BEE a few days ago of the de- :
parture Of Police Judge Labour Tor Canada,
as it was supposed, leaving the city his cred-i
itor to the extent of $4,000 or 5000. He
suddenly disappeared, his accounts showed q
big deficiency due to the city for fines col
lected but not turned over, his wife was
overwhelmed with grief and shame, and sll
appearances pointed to another contribution
to the American colony in Canada. Pres
emily II became rumOred about that Judge
Labour would return, that he was still on
American soil, and that is response to the
entreaties OF his wife and friends, he had de-
tcrmined to come back, 'fess up and be-
gin over. Sure enough he came. His for
mer handsome moustache had been shaved
of, and he reported that he had gone As far
rs Detroit-almost over the line-wherc he
listened to the good angel and
turned back. When he had
gathered himself together and recovered
from his journey he told his tale of sorrow
and contrition. 1t was the old, old story.
lie had spent more money than properly be-
HIM dispose of it. lie had no intention Of
defauiting or stealing the city's funds, but
when he was asked to make an account OF
that he was a detaulter and couldn't meet
his obligations. SO, he says, he left town
without knowing where he was going. or
his wife from Chicago, making a clear breast
of the whole matter and her entreaty to
come home brought the prodigal back.
Here he is, and he kindly offers to mount
the rostrum and proceed with the business of
the police court as is If nothing had hap
pened. A good many citizens feel that that
isn't Just the thin for prodigal
fGn t would be do in sht ats as sway good ,as's ss
for him to let somebody else take up the er-
mine until his official skirts have been thor
Oughy examined. Yesterday the mayor
to consider the case, and the wise men rea-
soned together for long time as to what
they should do in the premises. Here was
the Judge back home, promising that IT they
the city all he owed 1t. lnaSmuch as there is
no set time when he is to render an account
ing for the funds that come to his possession
say ta ne sd ssen any
had not yet expired, aud the council had no
right to remove him, except charges were
preferred and he were impeached. On
that he. had fled to Detroit-there was no
doubt about that. Then his mustache was
gone, and there was no doubt about that.
Then there had been q big scandal over the
to do they didn't exactly know, SO they de-
cded to have careful Investigation of his
accounts, ana see whether he mad miSapprO-
the rest, do what is usually done IN such
| cases-unload the rtfalr upon committee.
This was done, and for the present the city
auditor will have charge of the judges &C
thould be any, will wait. That is the way
Des MOines dsposes of its official case Of
ptOdgal son.
IN ARMS AGAINST THE RAILROADS.
The new interstate commerce law, and the
action OF the railroads under it, Is stirring up
| q very lively spirit in Iowa. Complaints
come from nearly every shipping pOntin
sd IN many Gcaes ma nf &C.;
market. At Marshalltown the chief indus
! try is the Iowa barb wire factory which does
| a business of 100000 and gives life to the
| have introduced the "equalzed rates" which
| they formerly gave, and have made it almost
Impossible for the company to do business.
| The people of Marshalltown are right up in
arms, and talk about demanding an extra
| session of the Legislature to bring the rail-
roads to terms. There is the liveiest kind of
hostility to the roads being strewn AL oyer
they are working to build up Chicago inter
| ests, and break down the ambitious cities of
Iowa and Nebraska. If there isn't radical
change, there is going to be some mighty
|
sembly cOnvenes, so all the signs seem to in
| dcate.
| PoTTERs RESIGNATION.
The resignation of Thomas Potter as vice
| president and general manager of the G. B.
Il q. railroad is regarded in Iowa as a great
| loss to that road. He, more than any other
man. has made 1t the strong, prosperous
property that it is, and his genius has been
appreciated by none more than by the people
| of Iowa, among whom he was raised. 1t is
the general feeling through the state that the
| Union Pacific is to be congratulated OH secur-
ing Mr.. Potter, and that IN the new field
of opportunity that is opened to him, ha
| will display the remarkable executive power
that has made hun prominently the first rail-
road manager of the west. Mr.. Potter will
be very much missed in Iowa for he has
taken a personal interest in the state and its
cities and towns and worked for their pros
| perlty almost as much since he went to Chi
cago as while he was here. Being connected
| hereafter with a road outside of the state he
| will not be able to do as much for the Iowa
| interests as he formerly did.